Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling and whatever companies have a claim to the Harry Potter trademark. I make no money out of this. Please don't sue me!
A Hidden Tiara
Harry stood in yet another cobweb-filled corridor, keeping his head down to prevent tripping on the creacked floor. The ball of light that floated above his shoulder was his only companion as he searched for any sign of the hidden Horcrux. He had spent the week traversing the castle's many secret passages and nooks, growing increasingly frustrated with each dead end.
The owl statue stared blankly ahead, uncaring and unhelpful. Harry huffed in frustration as he stepped out from the hidden passage behind it, rubbing his aching back. Dumbledore's list of secret places within Hogwarts had proven to be more exhaustive than he'd initially thought. He glanced down at the parchment, its once pristine surface now marred by countless smudges and scribbles.
"Last one," Harry muttered as he scratched the owl passage off the list. He shoved the parchment into his pocket with a sigh. The Horcrux still eluded him, and he couldn't shake the nagging worry that perhaps it wasn't in the castle at all.
He absently cast a Tempus charm and winced when he saw the time. He was due to meet with the other champions for their training session soon. As he started towards the Room of Requirement, his mind raced, desperately trying to conjure up any other hidden rooms or passages Voldemort might have used.
His thoughts momentarily turned to the Forbidden Forest, but he quickly dismissed them. The Horcrux needed to be in the castle to maintain the curse. It had to be somewhere else.
"Ugh, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Harry grumbled, running his fingers through his unruly hair. "A very large, magical, constantly shifting haystack."
Harry reached the seventh floor to find Fleur Delacour waiting, her golden hair shimmering like sunlight as she leaned casually against the wall.
"Hi, Harry," Fleur greeted with a warm smile as he approached.
"Hi, Fleur," Harry replied, returning the smile. "How's your plan for the second task coming along?"
Fleur's expression shifted to one of mild distaste. "I have a plan, but I must admit, I am not looking forward to swimming in that freezing lake."
"Neither am I," Harry shuddered at the thought. "But hey, we'll survive, right?"
"Yes, I suppose." Fleur hesitated before continuing, "You know, being part Veela means we are more attuned to air and fire. Water... it is difficult for us."
Harry nodded, remembering how Fleur had struggled with the second task in his timeline. "I'm sure you'll do great, Fleur."
"Thank you," Fleur smiled. She bit her lip, then added, "I am worried though... if they take a person instead of an object for the second task, I might not be fast enough to save my hostage."
"Look, Fleur," Harry said earnestly, "there's no way the headmasters would let anything happen to the potential hostages."
Fleur still looked unsure, so Harry added, "If they use hostages, and I get to them before you do, I promise I'll protect yours too, alright?"
A teasing smile spread across her face. "Ah, the famous Harry Potter and his 'saving people thing'," she said, bringing her hands to her chest and making exaggerated dovey eyes. "Always so gallant."
Harry couldn't help but laugh along with her. Their moment of levity was interrupted by the arrival of Cedric and Viktor, who were deep in conversation about Quidditch.
"Hope we're not interrupting anything important," Cedric joked as he caught sight of Harry and Fleur.
"Nothing at all," Harry replied, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "What were you two chatting about?"
"Quidditch," Cedric answered, grinning. "Viktor and I are trying to arrange a day to go flying together. You're welcome to join us, of course."
"Sounds brilliant," Harry said, genuinely enthused. "Just let me know when."
"Will do," Cedric promised. "And this time, there won't be any Dementors for you to blame after you lose."
"With my luck," Harry retorted, smirking. "You never know."
Harry paced in front of the tapestry of dancing trolls and a door materialised on the wall, revealing the Room of Requirement.
"Come on," Harry said, gesturing to the other champions. "Let's get this training session started."
As they entered the room, Viktor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We should work on wordless casting," he suggested. "Underwater, we won't be able to speak our spells."
"Excellent idea, Viktor," Fleur agreed, her eyes lighting up. "And we should also practice casting without wand movements, since we'll need to do it while swimming."
Nodding in agreement, the champions set to work, focusing intently on their silent spellcasting. Dummies appeared throughout the room, waiting to be struck by young wizards.
"Oi, Krum!" Cedric called out as he noticed Viktor struggling with a particularly difficult charm. "Try visualising the outcome more clearly before casting."
As Harry continued to work on his non-verbal Expelliarmus, he found himself reflecting on Ron's comments about his new relationship with the other champions. It was a stark contrast to the distrust and tension that had plagued them in his previous timeline. It was encouraging to see the supportive atmosphere they now shared.
"Nice one, Viktor!" Cedric praised, giving a nod of approval as the Durmstrang champion managed the wordless Stupefy that was eluding him, sending the dummy toppling to the ground.
"Thank you," Viktor replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners with a smile.
Eventually, their training session came to an end, and the champions sank down onto the floor, chests heaving as they caught their breath. Sweat dripped from their brows, but their tired smiles spoke volumes about their shared sense of accomplishment.
"Does anyone have plans for Hogsmeade this weekend?" Fleur asked, breaking the silence as she wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
Viktor shook his head. "I have Quidditch training to catch up on," he said.
Cedric grinned sheepishly. "I'm going out with Cho," he admitted, running a hand through his damp hair. "What about you, Fleur?"
"I was planning to go to Hogsmeade with you, actually," she replied, her eyes darting to Harry for a moment before returning to Cedric. "But it is alright if you have other plans."
Harry's heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending a day in Hogsmeade with Fleur, and he couldn't suppress the small smile that tugged at his lips.
Harry's cheeks flushed as he stammered, "I, uh, I hadn't planned anything. I'd love to accompany you to Hogsmeade, Fleur." He mentally kicked himself for sounding so eager, but Fleur's smile reassured him.
"That would be lovely," she said, her eyes sparkling with warmth. For a moment, Harry and Fleur gazed at each other, fading out the world around them.
"Ahem," Cedric interrupted their reverie, grinning playfully. "Maybe it's time for Viktor and me to get going." Viktor chuckled in agreement, sensing the need to give Harry and Fleur some space. They gathered their belongings and bid their farewells, leaving the room with laughter trailing behind them.
The sudden quiet left an awkward air between Harry and Fleur, both very aware of the moment they had just shared. Fleur broke the silence, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "I need to go to the library, do some research for the second task. Would you like to join me?"
"Actually," Harry began, running a hand through his unruly hair, "Dumbledore's given me a project to work on. I really should get back to it."
"Of course," Fleur replied, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Another time, perhaps?"
"Definitely," Harry promised, trying to reassure her with a small smile.
"What is this project about?" Fleur asked, her curiosity piqued as they prepared to leave the Room of Requirement.
Harry hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of divulging Dumbledore's task. Eventually, he decided that Fleur was trustworthy enough. "Dumbledore asked me to find an object hidden in the castle. I've searched high and low, but so far, no luck."
"Perhaps you could use some help?" Fleur offered, her voice gentle. "I know Hogwarts is not my home, but I have quite the eye for finding hidden things."
"Thank you, Fleur," Harry said, touched by her offer. "I'll definitely keep it in mind."
As they left the Room of Requirement, the door disappearing behind them, Fleur turned to Harry with a smile. "I will see you later, then. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "I hope you are right."
"Of course I'm right," she said as she began to walk away, her golden hair shimmering like molten sunlight. Just before she vanished around the corner, she called back to him, her voice echoing through the stone walls. "You found this room, didn't you? And it seems to be hidden pretty well."
"Thank you, Fleur!" Harry called back, appreciating the champion's encouragement.
Harry stood by the tapestry of dancing trolls, his gaze lingering on the spot where Fleur had disappeared. Her words echoed in his mind. A grin spread across Harry's face as he realised Fleur's inadvertent genius. Could it be that simple?
He paced along the corridor, focusing intently on his need to find the hidden object. As he finished his third lap, a door materialised in front of the tapestry, its appearance both sudden and seamless.
"Brilliant!" Harry whispered, excitement coursing through him. He grasped the handle and pushed the door open, revealing a cavernous room filled with an infinity of miscellaneous items. It was like stepping into an ancient, magical attic; a treasure trove of forgotten relics from centuries past.
The sheer scale of the room was overwhelming. Hundreds of piles of objects rose up to the high ceiling, casting long shadows across the dusty floor. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment, wood polish, and the faintest hint of rusted metal. Harry took a tentative step inside, marvelling at the vast array of artefacts surrounding him. Rings encrusted with gleaming gems lay nestled beside tattered books filled with secrets, while ornate chairs and tables teetered precariously on top of ancient chests.
"Blimey," Harry breathed, his eyes wide as they swept over the extraordinary scene before him. The room was an Aladdin's cave of lost treasures, a veritable ocean of discarded trinkets and forgotten memories.
"Alright, let's get to work," he said under his breath, venturing into the sea of debris. With each cautious step, he opened up his senses, feeling for the unmistakable aura that surrounded Voldemort's Horcruxes.
He carefully peered around a centuries-old suit of armour, marvelling at the sheer variety of items that filled every nook and cranny. Time seemed to stretch and warp, like the distorted reflection in a funhouse mirror, as Harry wandered through the seemingly infinite expanse of lost objects. Dust hung heavy in the air, tickling his nose and throat, but Harry barely noticed; his entire focus was on the task at hand.
He had been methodically working his way through the hidden chamber for what felt like hours, every moment punctuated by the rhythmic ticking of the clock that echoed in his mind. But just when he was about to give up for the day, he felt it – the dark, unmistakable tingle that marked the presence of a Horcrux.
"Gotcha," he whispered, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. He approached the pile from where the sensation emanated, eyes narrowed and senses flaring.
He began to sift through the clutter, careful not to touch the Horcrux accidentally. His fingers passed over a slew of items – tarnished trinkets, long-forgotten journals, a monocle with a cracked lens – until they finally approached the object he sought: a velvet black box, roughly the size of three books stacked atop one another.
"Finally!" Harry exclaimed, his voice a hoarse whisper. As he grabbed the box, he knew without a doubt that the Horcrux was inside. Memories of the Gaunt Shack and Albus' near-miss with the ring flitted through his mind, and he cautiously set the box down on the floor, taking a couple of steps back.
"Right," he said, flicking his wand with a flourish. The box sprang open, revealing its contents: a sapphire-encrusted tiara in the shape of a raven, crafted from silver metal and adorned with countless tiny, glittering stones.
His heart raced as he stared down at the Horcrux, keenly aware of the gravity of his discovery. He had found it – one step closer to ending Voldemort once and for all.
"Time to go, you shiny menace," Harry muttered as he quickly conjured a small pouch. With expert precision, he levitated the sapphire-encrusted tiara into the pouch, avoiding any direct contact with the dark object.
He and Albus had been right after all – there was indeed a Horcrux hidden within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. And now, if their suspicions about the snake proved accurate, they were only one step away from vanquishing Voldemort once and for all.
"Off to Dumbledore, then," Harry told himself, stowing the pouch safely in his pocket. He hurried out of the room of hidden things, senses on high alert for any potential dangers lurking in the corridors outside.
As he made his way towards the headmaster's office, Harry marvelled at how smoothly things had been going. It was an unfamiliar sensation – almost unsettling – given his usual penchant for stumbling into chaos and narrowly escaping with his life. Still, he couldn't deny the thrill of being on the cusp of victory, of potentially preventing another war and all the suffering that came with it.
Lost in thought, Harry barely registered the echoes of his footsteps as he navigated the winding staircases and dimly lit passages. The fight was imminent and getting closer, and Harry needed to be ready for it.
